NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the alliance's openness and support for any initiatives aimed at accelerating the end of the war in Ukraine, including potential diplomatic contacts with Moscow. Rutte emphasized during a press conference in Brussels the importance of coordination and transparency among allies regarding these contacts, praising the diplomatic moves led by France and the United States to break the current deadlock. He noted that Washington's leading role is a key element in these efforts, and any step that is clearly coordinated and helps to stop this horrific war faster will receive the necessary support from the alliance. At the same time, the Secretary General clearly distanced himself from the proposal put forward by the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas, who called for linking any future settlement of the conflict to a reduction in the size of the Russian armed forces. Rutte considered this view a personal opinion of the European official and not one that necessarily enjoys his support.
